


Trusting Strangers

by trust_me_iknow



Category: Doctor Who, Doctor Who (2005)
Genre: F/M, One Shot, no actual relationship to be seen, simply the suggestion of one
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2014-02-24
Updated: 2014-02-24
Packaged: 2018-01-13 16:12:09
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,100
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/1232890
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/trust_me_iknow/pseuds/trust_me_iknow
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>Two unfamiliarly familiar faces meet, have a discussion, then part ways.</p>
            </blockquote>





	Trusting Strangers

**Author's Note:**

> As always, this is unbeta'd, so any formatting, grammar, or spelling mistakes are all mine. If you see an error, please point it out.

   The Doctor was walking away from the docks, heading towards the TARDIS with a pep in his  step when he heard it.  The discordant sound of the engines phasing sent his hearts into overdrive.  He was running, his long legs eating up the distance, his mind racing with the possibilities.  He was sure she wasn’t going to be there as he rounded a corner, fear twisting his stomach.  He knew she would be gone and someone would have somehow stolen her because that’s what he deserved, after what he did.  He deserved to lose her.

 

   But there she sat, the familiar blue soothing his fears.

 

   And she wasn’t alone.

 

   The other TARDIS was bigger and bluer.Something drastic must have happened for her to remodel so completely.The Doctor slowed to a jog and then stopped completely, only a few meters from the door of this newer, older, TARDIS.He braced himself as the door began to open, a booted foot appearing.The Doctor groaned as he got a proper look at himself.His thoughts ran together, one beginning before the other could complete.

 

_Oh for the love of all things good and_

 

_Look at this foppish, brainless_

 

_What the hell was I thinking-_

 

   “Oh, there I am! Hello!” the other Doctor smiled as he brushed brown hair off of his forehead and out of his eyes.It stubbornly flopped back into place.The other Doctor stopped a few feet from him, still smiling foolishly.

 

   The Doctor narrowed his eyes and crossed his arms, the creaking of the leather loud in the early April afternoon.His jaw tightened as he took in the differences between himself and this version.The too tight trousers, the absurd tweed, the _hair._ His eyes, though, his eyes were what kept The Doctor from disparaging his childish face or stupid braces.He knew those eyes, haunted and angry, a lonely god raging, screaming into the void and getting nothing but silence for his troubles.There was something new, though, something more about his eyes.Something dangerous and a bit mad, a manic glint that said this man, this Doctor, was capable of things that he couldn’t even name yet.They set The Doctor’s teeth on edge.

 

   “You know how incredibly stupid and dangerous what you’re doing is, so I can’t help but wonder what you hoped to accomplish.”The Doctor’s voice was gruff, frustrated and angry, knowing that the appearance of a future version of himself could bring nothing good.

 

   The other Doctor’s grin widened.

 

   “Well, it’s important, you see.Rather, _she’s_ important.”He stuck his hands in his pockets and rocked back on his heels.  

 

   “‘She’ who?” The Doctor asked, though he could easily guess.The other Doctor ignored his question.

 

   “You need to go back and tell her.Tell her that the TARDIS travels not just in space, but in time, too.”

 

   The Doctor exhaled forcefully and looked hard into his future self’s eyes.  

 

   “‘ _She_ ’ who?”He asked again, pushing, because he needed to see.Needed to see how far reaching her impact could potentially be.

 

   “Rose Tyler.”The way the other Doctor’s mouth formed those words, like they were precious, like they were the only words worth speaking, the way that name all but erased the mad look in his eyes, sent a jolt through The Doctor.The forgettable shop girl who had swung from a chain to save his life, somehow she was more important than he had anticipated.Still, he wasn’t going to make this easy.

 

   “Why should I?She was brave, but they’re always brave.And they always leave, and good for them.This life is too dangerous for humans.”The other Doctor’s smile changed, from that carefully chosen, goofy grin, to something softer and genuine.

 

   “At some point you’re going to have to stop punishing yourself,” He said quietly.“You’re also going to have to trust me.She is absolutely, without question, a necessary presence in your life.So many things depend on Rose Tyler, and you, and Rose Tyler and you.I can see the way you look at me, the fear you’re trying to hide at what I, what we, become, and I know that makes trusting me harder.And I know that after everything we did you feel like you don’t deserve peace, but you do, and we do, and with Rose Tyler comes that peace.Trust me, just on this, and go back to a few moments after you left, tell her that you can travel in time, and cherish the smile on her face as she runs towards you.Trust me, please.”The other Doctor’s head was tilted slightly down, eyes peering up through brown hair, his voice pleading and gentle.

 

   The Doctor uncrossed his arms and let them fall to his sides.

 

   “Why do I feel like nothing good can come of this?” He asked his future self.The other Doctor grinned again, an truly pleased smile.

 

   “Well, good and bad things together, yeah?That’s how it’s always been for us.”The Doctor felt his face soften against his will and he stuck his hands in his coat pockets, mirroring the other Doctor.They stood there a moment, taking each other in properly.The other Doctor laughed softly.

 

   “Well, that’s it for me, so, if you’ll excuse me?I have a date!”He waggled his faint eyebrows and clapped his hands together, turning toward his TARDIS.The Doctor rolled his eyes and started to make his way to his TARDIS, stopping with the key in the lock when he heard the other Doctor’s voice.

 

   “I wish I could tell you all of the wonderful things soon to come, but I can’t.What I can tell you is to treasure each moment.She is-” Here he paused and The Doctor looked at him.His forehead was pressed against the door and there was no key in sight.

 

   “Well,” the other Doctor continued “You’ll see exactly how she is, and you know what?”

 

   “What?” He asked impatiently.

   The other Doctor turned toward him.

 

   “It’s going to be fantastic.”

 

   His future self grinned wildly, green eyes lit up, and The Doctor shook his head as he entered the TARDIS.He stared at the console until long after the engine sounds from his future TARDIS faded, contemplating his next course of action.

 

   “Alright old girl, there’s somewhere we’re supposed to be, apparently.”

 

\------------------------- ---------------------------- ----------------------------------------------------

   Some time later, as the regeneration energy tears through him and Rose’s kiss burns on his lips, he looks at her confused face and realizes that his other self was right.It was _fantastic._

 


End file.
